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Message: <blockquote data-quote="James Gasik" data-source="post: 9715848" data-attributes="member: 6877472">I think I understand why 5e went back to the AD&D version of the stat boosting items, the Belts of Giant Strength in particular.  Nostalgia, yes, but there's more to it.Players are often led down the path that says they must have the best build, the best bonuses, the best stats.  If you play a Fighter, you feel you want 20 in Strength, or Dexterity, or Constitution.  If a Wizard, surely, you must have that 20 Int- it's the best possible number, after all, and surely, you'd need that to be the best.If the items only granted bonuses, it would do nothing to change this.  Character advice would still tell you "get X stat as high as possible, then if your DM actually lets you get an item to boost it, you'll have an even higher score!".There's more to do with ASI's.  You could shore up weak points of your character.  Acquire Feats for more versatility.  I feel "+x" items just feed into this endless loop of needing to specialize, to focus on strengths and ignore everything else.  If you knew, as a player, that items that give you a 19 or even higher exist, and you could count on seeing them, maybe there'd be less of a push to dump all your eggs in one basket.  Maybe you'd be content with that 16 Strength, which is all you really need- bounded accuracy keeps super high AC's off the table, and what's a point or two of damage?  Maybe it makes a difference, most of the time it probably won't.And sure, most of the stat increasing items won't give you a 20, but I think if you had, as a Wizard, an item that gives you a 19, maybe you'd realize a 20 isn't all that necessary, and you might increase Con or some other useful stat, or take a look at your other options like Feats.Maybe not, but in all honesty, I've given out items that increase stats in my games, and the main problem is the attunement requirements.  "Sure, having a 19 Int is nice", one player said, "but look at what I have to give up!".So I don't think there's a reason to fear them, or to need to control them all that much.  I mean sure, the idea of someone dumping Strength who knows they can get Gauntlets might seem problematic, but they have to play that character to get those Gauntlets (unless you start at higher levels) and it's not like they can't be dispelled, stolen, disenchanted, or destroyed, and then where are you?  Or other circumstances that prevent you from using your gear at all times.  Maybe something like:"You're meeting with the First Prince this evening.  There'll be entertainment, and a feast.  Naturally, you're not going to wear those metal gauntlets, are you?"</blockquote>

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